Sony Mdrnc22/Blk Noise Canceling Headphone (Black)

I recently compared the Bose QC2 headphones (an obscene $299) with the cheaper Sennheiser PXC-300 ($159.99) and the new Sony MDR-NC22s ($70.00). The Sennheiser's are a smaller design that does not completely cover your ear and comes in a smaller case, which is more convenient for travelling. The Sony's are an in-ear solution, and have the smallest case. All have active noise canceling.

I did my testing in the rear of an Boeing 737. The rear is generally the noisiest location in an airplane. My primary testing criteria was which headphone reduced overall noise the best. I also listened to see which headphone allowed me to listen to music and audio programs (podcasts) at the lowest volume level. I was really hoping that one of the cheaper options would be better than the Bose, but they weren't.

The Bose knocked out the most airplane noise and allowed me to listen to music at the lowest volume level and still hear it. The Sennheiser was next, and the...Read more

My wife has one of the original Sony noise-cancelling earbuds, which were bulkier and more expensive but work quite well. I ended up borrowing them all the time for plane trips, so as we were traveling together, I got a pair of the updated version.

A few general remarks about active noise cancellation. It works quite well on monotonous low-frequency noises (read: airplane engines), but will be pretty useless against "the sound of eight crying babies" (for you Simpsons fans out there). The Sonys are in-ear, so if you can achieve a good seal in your ear canal you get passive damping in those frequency ranges.

Also, pretty much every active noise-canceller I tried introduces a bit of white noise in the treble range --- generally only noticeable if you don't play music through them.

Furthermore, don't expect active noise-cancellers to give great sound unless you're willing to pony up big bucks. I tried the $350 Bose® QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise...Read more

I purchased the Sony MDRNC10s many years ago and have used the 11s as well (each of which is a predecessor to this model, with, I believe, the same specs--it's the cosmetics which have changed over time). They are nice and indeed eradicate a noticeable portion of low-sound rumble on planes and on the street. I find that I arrive at a destination from a flight less tired, with using these.

Having said that, I've also compared them in-flight to a set of Shure E2C in-ear earbuds with no noise-cancelling electronics (generally available, including at Amazon.com, for $70-$100). I've found that if I fit the Shures with the Shure triple-flange ear pieces (also available here, and which indeed can be fit onto the E2Cs with a small amount of effort, in a couple of minutes, even though not designed for the E2Cs), they exceed the "noise-cancelling" results of the Sonys. With the benefit of being smaller and even easier for travel (no separate electronics case) and no need for...Read more